Marking-machine.



F. A. PUTNAM & C. F. ROBBINS.

MARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man 0:0.2. 19m.

1 %?,7 Patent/e01 Nov. 27, 1917.

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MARKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEC-2, I914.

Patented Nov. 27, 191?.

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FRED A. PUINAM, 0F MELROSE, AND CHARLES F. ROBBINS, OF ABINGTON, MASSACHU- SETTS, ASSIGNORS TO MARKEIVI MACHINE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS,

A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

MARKINGJVIACHINR Application filed December 2, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRED A. PUTNAM and CHAnLEs F. RoBBINs, citizens of the United States, and residents of Melrose, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, and Abington, county of Plymouth, State of Massachusetts, respectively, have invented an Improvement in Markinglilachines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to marking machines such as are used for printing or marking on various goods some data indicating either the name of the manufacturer, trade name of the manufacturer, size, quality, etc., of the goods, and particularly to a marking machine having a vertically movable printing head carrying type members, an inking plate and an inking roll which travels from the plate to he type characters and transfers the inking material i from said plate to the characters.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a machine of this nature with novel means for rotating the inking roll so that it will more effectively transfer the T ink from the inking plate to the type char acters without injury to the roll, and also to provide a machine of this character with novel means for heating the ink plate and p to otherwise improve such machines, all as will be more fully hereinafter described and then pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings wherein we have illustrated a selected embodiment of our invention, Figure 1 is a side view of a printing machine having our unprovements applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a sectlon on the hne 00m, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary dlagrammatlc view showing different positions of the ink- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27, 19 1?,

Serial No. 875,100.

from a suitable eccentric on the shaft 6. The work to be marked is sustained by a platen 7 The type characters 1 are inked by means of an inking roll 8 which receives its supply of ink from an inking plate 9. The inking roll is caused to travel from the inking plate 9 to the type characters +1, said roll passing underneath the type characters lto ink them and moving over the surface of the inking plate 9 to receive a fresh supply of ink. The inking roll can be supported and given this traveling movement by any suitable means. As herein shown, the inking roll is carried by a forked or two-armed member 10 which is pivotally connected at 11 to an arm 12 extending upwardly from the printing head, said member 10 being connected by a connecting rod 13 with a crank disk 14 mounted on the shaft 6. This construction is such as to cause the inking roll to move backwardly over the inking plate 9 as the printing member 3 descends into printing position and to move forwardly from the inking plate into a position to contact with the type characters a as the printing member 8 rises. The inking roll 8 travels in a curved path and the inking roll 9 is yieldingly mounted so that it will yield as the inking roll passes thereover thereby maintaining its contact with said roll. As herein shown the inking plate 9 is provided with a stud 15 which is rotatably mounted in a bracket 16 secured to the frame 1. 18 designates a spring sustained in a recess in the bracket 16 and acting on a follower 17 which engages the underside of the plate 9, this spring acting to yieldingly hold the inking plate in the position shown in Fig. a. When the inking roll 8 engages the plate, however, and moves in its curved path the spring 18 will permit the inking plate to yield downwardly to accommodate the curvature of the path of movement of the inking roll.

In marking machines of this nature as heretofore constructed the inking roll has been free to rotate in its carrier so that when it comes into contact either with the type characters 4 or the inking plate 9 it will be rotated by its frictional engagement therewith. During the interval when the inking roll is passing between the type characters and the inking plate, said roll is stationary in its support. As a result the inking roll will be given a sudden turning movement when it strikes the type characters 4. or the inking plate 9 and will be rotated as long as it is in contact with either, but will cease its rotation when it is in contact with neither.

The type characters 4 are of necessity made with sharp edges and the constant impact of the inking rolls against these sharp edges and the force necessary to overcome the inertia of the inking roll and start it rotating as it passes over the type characters is more or less destructive of the inking roll and wears and injures its surface. We have overcome this disadvantage herein by providing means for rotating the inking roll so that when it comes into contact with either the inking plate or the type characters it will be rotating at the proper speed. This obviates the necessity of having suflicient friction between the inking roll and the part with which it contacts to overcome the inertia of the inking roll and start it in operation. Further, the mechanism which we have provided for this purpose is so constructed that it will cause the inking roll to be rotated in the proper direction when it comes in contact with either the inking plate or the type characters. It will be noted that the inking rollpasses over the inking plate 9 and under the type characters l, and as a result when the inking roll is moving forwardly it will rotate in one direction, while in contact with the inking plate, and in the opposite direction while in' contact with the type characters 4:. Our inking roll rotating mechanism is so constructed that it causes the direction of rotation of the inking roll to be reversed as it is passing from the inking plate to the type characters and vice versa. l/Vhile any suitable means for thus rotating the inking roll may be employed, we have illustrated in the drawings a simple construetion which will satisfactorily perform the desired operation. The inking roll has rigid therewith at one end thereof a spool or pulley 19 about which is wound a cord or flexible connection 20. One end of this cord is fastened to a fixed support, as, for instance, the post or arm 21 which is herein shown as secured to the bracket 22 that supports the platen. The other end of the cord is fastened to a swinging arm 23 herein shown as pivoted at 24 to the frame 1, and

as being acted upon by a suitable spring 25 which tends to move it backwardly. The purpose of the spring 25 and swinging arm 23 is to hold the cord or flexible connection 20 taut at all times. \Vith this arrangement it will be readily seen that assuming the inking roll to be in the position shown in full lines Fig. 3, and assuming it to be moving toward the inking plate, the cord or connection 20 will cause the inking roll to rotate in the direction of the arrow thereon which is the proper direction as it is passing over the type characters 4. When the inking roll reaches the dotted line position a, Fig. 3, the direction of rotation thereof will be reversed, and as it continues from the position a to the position Z) and beyond to the limit of its movement, the direction of rotation will be in the direction of the arrow indicated at the position b which is the proper direction to roll over the inking plate 9. When the inking roll reverses its direction of movement and begins to move forwardly again, as shown by the dotted line position 0, Fig. 3, its direction of rotation will be reversed and it will roll forwardly over the inking plate 9. Then it reaches the position a again its direction will again be reversed, so that as it is passing forwardly under the type characters 4 as indicated at d, Fig. 3, its direction of rotation will be such that it will roll over the type characters 4. The inking roll is thus given a positive rotary movement as it travels from the inking plate to the type characters and back again and the direction of its rotating movement is always such as to cause it to roll over the part with which it contacts in a natural manner. It is thus possible to so adjust the parts that the inking roll will have comparatively light contact with both the inking r-late and the type characters, that is, just sufiicient contact to permit the inking roll to pick up the ink from the plate 9 and distribute it to the type characters 4: without requiring that there be suiiicient frictional contact between the inking roll and the part with which it contacts to cause the inking roll to rotate. The inking roll will thus have a much longer life, a more even inking of the type will be effected, and better results generally will be secured.

The printing block 3 is provided with means for heating the latter, this being here in accomplished by forming said block with a recess 26 in which an electrical heating element 27 is placed. Ne have also provided means for heating the inking plate 9, this being herein accomplished by providing the bracket 16 with a recess or aperture 28 in which an electrical heating element 29 may be placed, said element being connected by suitable conductors 30 to any suitable switch by which the current may be turned on or off. By this means the bracket 16 will be heated and the heat will be transferred to the inking plate 9 through the stud 15, suflicient heat being'thustransferred to warm the plate 9 slightly. There are some kinds of ink which it is desirable to use that give better results when heated slightly, and by this means the ink on the inking roll 9 can be maintained warmed sufliciently to give the desired result.

While we have illustrated the invention as applied to one type of marking machine, yet we desire to have it understood that the means for rotating the inking roll may be equally well applied to other types of mark ing machines than the particular type here in illustrated. Further, we wish to state that the particular means herein shown for giving the inking roll its rotating movement is not essential to the invention, although it has proved to be a convenient and practical means for this purpose. 7

The invention is not, therefore, limited to the constructional features shown.

IV e claim:

1. In a marking machine, the combination with a frame, of a platen fixed thereon, an inking plate sustained thereby, a printing member mounted on the frame for movement relative to the inking plate and toward and from the platen, an inking roll, means for supporting said roll and causing it to travel alternately across the inking plate and the operative face of the printing memher during the movement of the latter, and a flexible member cooperating with said roll to rotate it during its traveling movement.

72. In a marking machine, the combination with a vertically-movable printing member, of an inking plate, an inking roll, means to cause said inking roll to travel from the inking plate to the printing member, and means to rotate said roll and to reverse its direction of rotation during its traveling movement.

3. In a marking machine, the combination with a vertically-movable printing member, of an inking plate, an inking roll, means for supporting said inking roll and causing it to travel from the inking plate to the printing member and to pass over the top of the inking plate and underneath the printing member, and other means to rotate the roll during its traveling movement.

4:. In a marking machine, the combination with a Vertically-movable printing member, of an inking plate, an inking roll, means to cause it to travel from the inking plate to the printing member and to pass over the top of the inking plate and underneath the printing member, and means to rotate the roll and to reverse its direction of rotation during its traveling movement.

5. In a marking machine, the combination with a frame, of a platen fixedly supported thereon, an inking plate sustained by said frame, a printing head mounted on the frame for movement toward and from the platen and relative to the inking plate, an inking roll, a pivotally-mounted arm on which said roll is supported, means to actuate said arm to cause the inking roll to travel from the inking plate to the printing head during the movement of the latter, and a flexible member cooperating with said inking roll to cause it to be rotated by the swinging movement of the arm.

6. In a marking machine, the combination with a vertically-movable printing member, of an inking plate, an inking roll, a pivotally-mounted arm on which said roll is sustained, means for swinging said arm to cause the inking plate to pass over the inking roll and under the printing member, and a flexible member engaging said inking roll and causing it to rotate as the arm swings and to reverse its direction of rotation during each movement of the arm.

7. In a marking machine, the combination with a vertically movable printing member, of an inking plate support, an inking plate rotatably and yieldingly mounted on said support, an inking roll, means for supporting said inking roll and causing it to travel from the inking plate to the printing member, other means to cause said roll to rotate during its traveling movement, and means to heat the inking plate support.

8. In a marking machine, the combination with a frame, of a platen fixed thereon, an inking plate sustained on the frame, a printing member mounted on the frame for movement toward and from the platen, an inking roll, means for supporting said inking roll and causing it to travel alternately across the inking plate and the operative face of the printing member during the movement of the latter, said member when engaged by said inking roll being on the opposite side of the path of movement of the inking roll from the inking plate, and means other than the printing member and inking plate to rotate said roll during its traveling movement.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRED A. PUTNAM. CHARLES F. ROBBINS. Witnesses ETHEL C. LoNGrELLow, HELEN E. RANGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Qommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

